• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Lakland Owners Group #69

#6,581
vivaknoxvegas said:
I posted about gasing for a 55-01 but it hasn't got any traction so far. I'll ask here.

This bass is on my radar. I want to jump into the 5-string world. I like what I have read about the 35" scale and the low B. The 01 models have Bartolini pickups and eq and the 02 has Lakland. I don't see a lot of difference outside of that, but the 02 is $400-ish more. What am I missing there?
Click to expand...

The big difference is the 55-01 electronics are not the US Bartolini pups and pre. The pre is the weak link in this bass. If you upgrade the pre to a Bartolini NTMB (my favorite) or any other quality pre, then the stock pups are great. They are reverse P bass pups in a soapbar shell and are nice and hifi with the right pre.

Past that, the 55-01 is much more aggressive after the the pre upgrade than the 55-02. The 55-02 does get aggressive and in your face, but not like the upgraded 55-01. The 55-02 gets a great jazz bass tone, 60s and 70s, and gets close to a stingray. The 55-01 does an aggressive jazz sound with a bit of PBass thickness. Both sound great for fingerstyle, slap and with a pick. I've used both with country, blues, rock, jazz amd metal and they both are different flavors of awesome.

I just prefer the bigger sound of the 55-01. Either are killer basses.

What type of music are you playing?
 
  • Like
Reactions: lixisoft, GregC, vivaknoxvegas and 1 other person
#6,583
vivaknoxvegas said:
I posted about gasing for a 55-01 but it hasn't got any traction so far. I'll ask here.

This bass is on my radar. I want to jump into the 5-string world. I like what I have read about the 35" scale and the low B. The 01 models have Bartolini pickups and eq and the 02 has Lakland. I don't see a lot of difference outside of that, but the 02 is $400-ish more. What am I missing there?
Click to expand...

The main difference is the quality and variability of the preamp and pickups.

The LH3 is a better built and more versatile preamp.

The LH3 gives the option of Playing in passive mode which the Bart preamp does not ....

There is also a coil tap switch and the ability to change the midpoint of the preamp on the LH3 ... Not on the Bart

Some really like the sound of the Bart pickups in the 5501 but many end up switching out the preamp.

The humbucker and Single pickup configuration gives one many more options Than the soapbar Bart's.

The quality of the Basses overall (excluding the electronics) is the same.

Totally different animals in my humble opinion...
 
  • Like
Reactions: GregC and vivaknoxvegas
#6,585
vivaknoxvegas said:
Thanks @Texan

I play rock. Nothing too heavy, just std rock. I wouldn't be tuning down or anything.
Click to expand...

Personally, I'd get a 55-01 and fully upgrade it with the pre and pups of your choice, you'd still be under the cost of a 55-02.

I fully upgraded my 55-01 with the Bart NTMB and MK5CBC pups and added a 3 way mid switch which comes in handy. I've been thinking about adding the coild spitters to the pups, but I'm happy with the sound as is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lixisoft, ODDBALL and vivaknoxvegas
#6,586
I have a 55-01 and just upgraded the pre to a USA NTMB Bart and she sounds awesome. It still has the stock pickups to give it that aggressive tone. Love It.

IMG_0704.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: bassike and GregC
#6,588
ODDBALL said:
I have a 55-01 and just upgraded the pre to a USA NTMB Bart and she sounds awesome. It still has the stock pickups to give it that aggressive tone. Love It.

View attachment 1057798
Click to expand...

Love the cream...needs tort. ;)

FWIW, if you upgraded to the Bart MK5CBCs from the stock pups, you would lose a bit of the highs, but gain a bit more low throatyness.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ODDBALL
#6,594
lixisoft said:
I have purchased a few 44-01 pick guards directly from Lakland in the last year, (black and tort, no holes) for a very fair price.
Perfect fit and high quality, fast turn around, I've been really pleased.
Click to expand...

Interesting, every time I've tried they insist that they do not sell pickguards.

Also, I would suggest Pickguardian. I have bought from Mike Quick more than once and his stuff is nice but - the number of times I have emailed him repeatedly to try and order something and he NEVER responds to me outnumbers my number of actual purchases. He could have had a lot more money from me but he doesn't respond to emails. I'm done with that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xhawk5 and OnederTone
#6,596
You can hop on YouTube to hear good (and bad) demos of both basses. If you decide you really want a 55-02, check out the used equipment section of various forums and ebay (and I would do the same for a 55-01). If you are patient, you can land a great deal. I was in the same dilemma, and then saw that I could have a used 55-02 deluxe for not much more than the used 55-01s. The 55-02 is a "tone machine", and I was told directly by Lakland that it is equipped with the same pups and electronics as the US-made 55-94s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GregC and basspraiser
#6,597
I literally got my 55-02 brand new on amazon for for less than a 55-01. If you watch and price-stalk amazon you can get a lakland for a ridiculously low price. You might have to be flexible with the colors.

As far as the hardware, jazz style and music man style pickups, in my opinion, are more readily available in all different types of voicing and the 55-02 already comes with a really nice preamp which might be to most expensive part to replace. I've never played a 55-01 so I don't have an opinion to provide on it, but who knows, you might love it more!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back